Bathroom fixture



Aug- 17, 1965 E. v. GREEK 3,200,544 l BATHROOM FIXTURE Filed July 2o, 1960 Am R. M w OO 0 Kc. N ...7, ,gwmvnww w f, l "iilvk W m A m F. wm Tl.. MW

in. sa# al w 4% llmll iinnnilid United States Patent C) 3,200,544 BATHRGOM FlXTURE Eldon Virgil Greek, RJR. 1, Box 807, Carmel, Ind. Filed Saly 20, 1960, Ser. No. 44,094 4 Claims. (Cl. 52-27) The present invention relates to a method of and means for mounting a fixture.

Many and varied means have been tried for mounting fixtures such as towel racks and the like on the walls of houses and especially in the bathroom thereof. Frequently such mountings are not effective and, i-n a short time after mounting, the fixture becomes loose and may break away from the wall. It is, therefore, desirable that fast efficient method and means be provided for mounting a fixture in such a manner that it will remain secure.

Thus, one object of the present invention is to provide improved method and means for mounting a fixture.

A further object `of the present invention is to provide fast and efficient method and means for mounting a fixture in such a manner that it will remain secure for a substantial period of time.

Related objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In accorda-nce with the present invention, there is provided a method of mounting a fixture to extend from the forward fa-ce of the wall. The method includes forming a hole in the wall and projecting an open sided, concave receptacle through the hole with the concave portion thereof facing forwardly and the open sides beyond the rearward face of the wall. The receptacle is supported against the -forward face of the wall by fianges extending from the distal ends of an opposite pair of sides of the receptacle. Plaster of Paris is placed within the receptacle and the fixture is forced into the plaster of Paris in such a manner to cause the plaster to escape from the open sides of the receptacle against the rearward face of the wall whereby the plaster of Paris solidifies, locking the fixture in place.

The invention also contemplates a fixture mounting comprising a wall having. an aperture therethrough, Va concave open-sided receptacle projecting through the aperture with the concave portion thereof facing forwardly and the open sides beyond the rearward face of the wall. There is also provided a hard or solid substance filling the receptacle abutting the rearward face of the wall and having seated therein a fixture which extends forwardly from the wall.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims:

FiG. 1 is an exploded view of certain portions of a fixture mounting embodying the present invention showing these portions adjacent a tiled bathroom wall adapted to receive the fixture mounting.

FIG. 2 is a vertical section through the bathroom wall o-f FlG. 1 and shows certain portions of the fixture mounting in place and as these portions would appear after certain steps of the method of the present invention have been carried out.

FIG. 3 is a section similar to FIG. 2 after centain further steps of the method have been carried out.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal section taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the draw-ings, there is illustrated a bathroom wall formed by a plurality of tile 11 secured in place by means of mortar 12 and a section of flat backing material 15 such as plasterboard or plywood supporting the mortar and tile. The section of tile 16 which is to be used at the location of fixture mounting is formed 3,2%,514 Patented Aug. 17, 1965 ICC with a rectangular aperture 17 therethrough. The plasterboard 15 is also formed at this location with a rectangular aperture 20 which is somewhat larger than the aperture 17.

An important part of the apparatus for effecting the fixture mounting is an open-sided, concave receptacle indicated generally by the numeral 21 and formed of sheet metal. The receptacle has a rectangular central or base portion 22 (which `is approximately congruent or slightly smaller than aperture 20) and four rectangular side portions 23 and 24. One opposite pair 23 of the side portions extends a lesser distance from the central portion than the other opposite pair 24 of side portions, this difference in extension being approximately equal to the thickness of the plasterboard 15. Each of the sides 23 is arranged at an obtuse angle with the base 22 for a purpose which will become evident, this obtuse angle being approximately fifteen degrees to thirty degrees. The side portions 24 are provided at their distal ends with a pair of oppositely projecting flanges 25 which are in parallel relation to the base 22.

The illustrated embodiment of a fixture is a portion of a towel mounting rack and comprises a base element 30 formed integrally with a projecting arm 31 which has, at its distal end, a recess 32 adapted to receive the towel rack itself. The base 3) which has a lar-ger size than the aperture 17 in the tile 16 is provided with arecess 35 which receives a mounting element 36. The mounting element is secured within the hase 3@ by means of projections 3'7 which are inserted within suitable indentations in the base in order to attach the mounting element to the base, the final attachment being effected by the rota tion of a screw 4) to bear against the surface 41 of the mounting element. It can be seen that if it is desired to remove the towel rack arm and base 31 and 30 in order to mount another fixture, it is only necessary to unthread the screw 4t? a sufficient distance to allow the base 30 to be detached from the mounting element 36.

The method of the present invention is practiced in the following manner. The receptacle 21 is projected, base 22 first, through the aperture 2li. Because the sheet metal of the r-eceptacle is resilient, the sides of the aperture 20 for-ce the `sides 23 of the receptacle inwardly a certain amount. However, the sides 23 sprin-g back when they have passed the plasterboard 15 locking the receptacle in'position as illustrated in FIG. 2. It can be seenk that the sides 23 engage the rearward face 45 of the plasterboard while the flanges 25 engage the forward face 46 of the plasterboard. It should be noted that the sides 24, in their unstressed condition, should extend from the base 22 at a sufiiciently obtuse angle Vto allow the flanges 25 to have firm engagement with the forward face 46 of the plasterboard.

Mortar 50 is then used to secure the apertured tile 16 in place with the aperture y17 of the tile in registry with the receptacle. Either before or after this last mentioned step, a substantial amount of plaster of Paris is placed within the receptacle 21. The `fixture is then forced through the aperture 17 so :that the mounting element 36 moves through the aperture 17 and 20 into the receptacle. This action flows the plaster of Paris -outwardly by forcing a certain amount 51 ,of the plaster of Paris from the open sides of the receptacle and -between the sides 23 and 24. This material 51 `abuts and engages the rearward face 45 of the plasterboard securing the receptacle and fixture in place after solidification of the plaster of Paris. It should be noted that a `substantial amount of the `strength of the mounting accrues from the fact that the material 52 within the receptacle abuts the rearward face of the plasterboard and when any stress is placed upon the mounting tending to remove the fixture from the wall and from the receptacle, the material 52 is placed in compression and L not tension. It is well known that material such as plaster of Paris and concrete have high strength in compression but very little .strength in tension.

As can -be seen from FIGS. 1 and 4, the mounting elemeans for mounting a fixture and especially for mounting a Ifixture such as a towel rack in a bathroom. It can also be seen that the present invention provides a fast and efficient method for mounting a fixture in such a manner that it will remain secure for a substantial period of time.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the

same is to :be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has ybeen shown and described and that all changes and modifications that corne within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims are also desired to be protected.

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of mounting a fixture to extend from the forward face of a wall comprising forming a hole in the wall, projecting a concave receptacle into said hole with the concave portion thereof facing forwardly, said receptacle having resilient side portions which diverge linearly from one another and from the base lof the receptacle, forcing said side portions inwardly to pass the receptacle through the hole and then springing the side portions outwardly to their initial position on the rearward side of the wall so that the istal ends of the side portions engage the rearward face of said Wall 4in spaced relation tothe hole, supporting said receptacle against the forward face of said wall, placing plaster of Paris in said receptacle, and flowing the plaster of Paris loutwardly by forcing the fixture into said plaster of Paris in such a manner as to cause the plaster to move against said side portions of said receptacle `and against the rearward face of said wall whereby said plaster of Paris solidies locking said fixture to the wall.

2. A method of mounting a fixture on an object cornplising forming-a hole extending through. the object from one side to another, projecting a receptacle with the base leading through said hole, said receptacle having resilient side portions which diverge linearly from one another and from the base of the receptacle, forcing the side portions inwardly to pass the receptacle through the hole and then springing the side portions loutwardly to their initial position -on the other side of the wall so that the distal ends of the side portions engage the other side of the wall in -spaced relation to the hole, supporting said receptacle against the portions of said one side adjacent said hole, placing a hardenable substance in said receptacle, jiowing the substance 4outwardly by forcing the xture from i said one side .into said substance in .such a manner as to cause the substance to *remain within the receptacle against the other side of the object, and hardening the substance.

3. A method of mounting a fixture to extendrfrom the forward face of a wall -comprising forming a holeV in the Wall, projecting a rectangular `open sided, concave receptacle through said hole with the concave portion thereof facing forwardly, said receptacle having resilient side portions which diverge linearly from one another and from the base `of the receptacle, forcing the side portions inwardly to pass the receptacle through the hole and then springing the side portions Ioutwardly to y.their initial position on the other side of the wall so that the distal ends of the side portions engage the rearwardsurface of the wall in spaced relation to the hole, supporting said receptacle against the'forward faceA ofthe wallfplacing a hardenable substance in said receptacle, and tion/ing the substance outwardly by placing the fixture into said substance so as to cause displacement and movement thereof within said receptaclel and behind thegrearward faceV of said wall, and hardening the substance.

4. A fixture mounting comprising a wall havinga rectangular aperture therethrough, .aV concave receptacle facing forwardly, said one `pair of'side uortions'diverging linearly from Vone another 'as they extend from said central portion to the y'distal ends `of said one pairlof-side portions References Cited by the Examiner i UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,311,635 7/19 Baker 50-22 1,662,422 3/28 Hodges 50422 1,889,807 12/32. Lee 50-47 2,169,437 8/319Y Taylor 50-327 2,769,562 11/56 Rudolph' 22o-3.6 2,857,754 10/58 Reinert y 50-22 2,946,157 7/60 Franz et al 50-471 X 2,952,099 9/60 Futterer 50-22 X HENRY C. SUTHERLAND, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM I. MUSHAKE, JACOB L. NACKENOFF,

' Examiners. 

4. A FIXTURE MOUNTING COMPRISING A WALL HAVING ARECTANGULAR APERTURE THERETHROUGH, A CONCAVE RECEPTACLE FORMED OF RESILIENT SHEET MATERIAL AND HAVING A RECTANGULAR CENTRAL PORTION AND FOUR RECTANGULAR SIDE PORTIONS WHICH EXTEND FROM THE RESPECTIVE SIDES OF SAID CENTRAL PORTION, ONE OPPOSITE PAIR OF SAID SIDE PORTIONS EXTENDING A LESSER DISTANCE FROM SAID CENTRAL PORTION THAN THE OTHER OPPOSITE PAIR OF SAID PORTIONS, SAID RECEPTACLE PROJECTING THROUGH SAID APERTURE WITH THE CONCAVE PORTION THEREOF FACING FORWARDLY, SAID ONE PAIR OF SIDE PORTIONS DIVERGING LINEARLY FROM ONE ANOTHER AS THEY EXTEND FROM SAID CENTRAL PORTION TO THE DISTAL ENDS OF SAID ONE PAIR OF SIDE PORTIONS WHICH DISTAL ENDS ENGAGE THE REARWARD FACE OF SAID WALL AT LOCATIONS SPACED FROM SAID APERTURE, A PAIR OF FLANGES ON THE DISTAL ENDS OF SAID OTHER SIDE PORTIONS, SAID FLANGES EXTENDING AWAY FROM ONE ANOTHER GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID RECEPTACLE AND SUPPORTED ON THE FORWARD FACE OF SAID WALL, PLASTER OF PARIS FILLING SAID RECEPTACLE AND ENGAGING THE REARWARD FACE OF SAID WALL, AND A FIXTURE SEATED IN SAID PLASTER OF PARIS AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID APERTURE. 